Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
We are here at the first night of the first-ever Michigan Retro Game Expo, and we had the absolute honor of spending time with one of our best friends, the legendary Paul Niemeyer! For those who might not know, Paul is the incredible artist who illustrated the original final arcade cabinet artwork for Mortal Kombat back in 1992, including the iconic dragon logo. It is always great to see him, and while we missed him at our last event in Utah where everyone was asking about him, getting to catch up here in Kalamazoo, Michigan, was something incredibly special.
However, this particular meeting was a little different for me, and honestly, a whole lot more nerve-wracking. One of the absolute hardest things to do is to gift an artist a piece of art—especially when that custom piece is directly inspired by the very artwork they created! The nerves were definitely kicking in hard. Presenting something to the master who originally brought this legendary arcade cabinet artwork to life is a highly intimidating prospect. You want to make sure the respect, admiration, and quality truly reflect the impact their original work had on the gaming community.
Despite those intense nerves, the overwhelming feeling I had was pure excitement. I finally had this custom piece done after years of discussing it with him. We have literally been talking about this specific project since the first year we were at a convention together in Utah three or four years ago. Being able to finally hand him this custom art piece and say, “If you would like to do the honors,” was an unforgettable moment. Watching his genuine reaction—the “Wow” and the “Oh, this is cool, man”—was everything I could have hoped for and totally made the years of anticipation worth it.
This custom piece we gifted him holds a very special significance, especially for hardcore Mortal Kombat fans and arcade collectors. I asked Paul to explain the significance of the dragon facing in this specific direction, because the way this art was crafted was extremely deliberate. Paul shared a fascinating behind-the-scenes story from the creation of the original Mortal Kombat logo. While working on the original design in 1992, he was watching a historical show about the Romans, learning they believed a person's sinister nature lies on their left side. Because of that, Paul thought it would be a brilliant idea to make the Mortal Kombat dragon face to the left. It felt perfectly appropriate for a darker, sinister game. He brought that original left-facing dragon concept to the final creative meeting, and right after that, they ultimately decided to flip it and made the trademarked dragon face right!
I have wanted to make this custom piece honoring his original left-facing design and present it to him for such a long time. Giving it to him today, celebrating his legendary contribution to video game history, and thanking him for his years of amazing friendship was an absolute highlight of the Michigan Retro Game Expo. Hearing him say that it will definitely be sitting proudly on his desk tomorrow just meant the world to me. Thank you so much, Paul, for your kindness, your legendary artwork, and your ongoing friendship in the retro gaming community!
If you love retro gaming, arcade history, behind-the-scenes stories about classic video game development, and the amazing people who shaped our childhoods, this video is exactly for you. Hearing these incredible stories straight from the creators themselves is truly special. The history of the Mortal Kombat arcade game is filled with fascinating design choices that shaped a legendary logo. Getting to hear the left-facing dragon origin story from Paul himself is a privilege. Thank you all for watching, and please be sure to like and subscribe for even more retro arcade goodness! What an epic way to kick off the weekend!
#RetroGaming #MortalKombat #ArcadeGames #MichiganRetroGameExpo #GamingHistory #ArcadeArtwork #VideoGameArt #PaulNiemeyer #MortalKombatLogo #ClassicGaming #GamerLife #ArcadeCulture #FightingGames #RetroGamer #VideoGameCollectibles #NostalgiaGaming #ArcadeCabinet #MortalKombatHistory #FGC #MortalKombatArcade #RetroGames
We are here at the first night of the first-ever Michigan Retro Game Expo, and we had the absolute honor of spending time with one of our best friends, the legendary Paul Niemeyer! For those who might not know, Paul is the incredible artist who illustrated the original final arcade cabinet artwork for Mortal Kombat back in 1992, including the iconic dragon logo. It is always great to see him, and while we missed him at our last event in Utah where everyone was asking about him, getting to catch up here in Kalamazoo, Michigan, was something incredibly special.
However, this particular meeting was a little different for me, and honestly, a whole lot more nerve-wracking. One of the absolute hardest things to do is to gift an artist a piece of art—especially when that custom piece is directly inspired by the very artwork they created! The nerves were definitely kicking in hard. Presenting something to the master who originally brought this legendary arcade cabinet artwork to life is a highly intimidating prospect. You want to make sure the respect, admiration, and quality truly reflect the impact their original work had on the gaming community.
Despite those intense nerves, the overwhelming feeling I had was pure excitement. I finally had this custom piece done after years of discussing it with him. We have literally been talking about this specific project since the first year we were at a convention together in Utah three or four years ago. Being able to finally hand him this custom art piece and say, “If you would like to do the honors,” was an unforgettable moment. Watching his genuine reaction—the “Wow” and the “Oh, this is cool, man”—was everything I could have hoped for and totally made the years of anticipation worth it.
This custom piece we gifted him holds a very special significance, especially for hardcore Mortal Kombat fans and arcade collectors. I asked Paul to explain the significance of the dragon facing in this specific direction, because the way this art was crafted was extremely deliberate. Paul shared a fascinating behind-the-scenes story from the creation of the original Mortal Kombat logo. While working on the original design in 1992, he was watching a historical show about the Romans, learning they believed a person's sinister nature lies on their left side. Because of that, Paul thought it would be a brilliant idea to make the Mortal Kombat dragon face to the left. It felt perfectly appropriate for a darker, sinister game. He brought that original left-facing dragon concept to the final creative meeting, and right after that, they ultimately decided to flip it and made the trademarked dragon face right!
I have wanted to make this custom piece honoring his original left-facing design and present it to him for such a long time. Giving it to him today, celebrating his legendary contribution to video game history, and thanking him for his years of amazing friendship was an absolute highlight of the Michigan Retro Game Expo. Hearing him say that it will definitely be sitting proudly on his desk tomorrow just meant the world to me. Thank you so much, Paul, for your kindness, your legendary artwork, and your ongoing friendship in the retro gaming community!
If you love retro gaming, arcade history, behind-the-scenes stories about classic video game development, and the amazing people who shaped our childhoods, this video is exactly for you. Hearing these incredible stories straight from the creators themselves is truly special. The history of the Mortal Kombat arcade game is filled with fascinating design choices that shaped a legendary logo. Getting to hear the left-facing dragon origin story from Paul himself is a privilege. Thank you all for watching, and please be sure to like and subscribe for even more retro arcade goodness! What an epic way to kick off the weekend!
#RetroGaming #MortalKombat #ArcadeGames #MichiganRetroGameExpo #GamingHistory #ArcadeArtwork #VideoGameArt #PaulNiemeyer #MortalKombatLogo #ClassicGaming #GamerLife #ArcadeCulture #FightingGames #RetroGamer #VideoGameCollectibles #NostalgiaGaming #ArcadeCabinet #MortalKombatHistory #FGC #MortalKombatArcade #RetroGames
